WASHINGTON — Food may largely be the culprit when it comes to weight gain over the holidays, but often calories are hiding right in your cup.
In WTOP’s fifth talk with Sally Squires, author of the Lean Plate Club™ blog, a former Washington Post health writer and Washington Post Radio contributor, we put the spotlight on alcoholic beverages. Over the holidays, the series has looked at a variety of ways to avoid putting on extra pounds going into the New Year. There’s still time — WTOP invites listeners and readers to join in the Lean Plate Club™ Holiday Challenge.
The holidays come with a bevy of seasonal drinks, from eggnog to mulled wine and other boozy concoctions.
“Alcohol actually has — gram for gram — almost twice the number of calories as protein and carbs,” Squires says.
But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the festivities. Squires says the key is to plan ahead, and enjoy holiday parties smartly so you don’t start 2016 with more pounds.
Where do you start? Squires suggests that you only have alcohol with food.
“That way, the absorption is slowed, and you’re less likely to feel the effects,” she explains.
You don’t have to shy away from calorie-laden eggnog, Squires says, but you will want to space out those heavy drinks with lower-calorie options.
“Maybe you start with a wine spritzer, or maybe you have a glass of water in between each glass that you have at a party,” she said.
Think of something slow to metabolize, such as Irish coffee — it’s hot, so you can’t gulp it down. Since you’ll slowly sip away, Squires says the tablespoon or two of whipped cream topping won’t add much, calorie-wise.
Though you may cringe at first, consider nonalcoholic versions of your favorite drinks.
“They’re not alcohol-free, but they have really very minute amounts of alcohol, and the good news is they only have about half the calories,” Squires says, adding that a taste-test among her peers favored nonalcoholic beers.
If you’re weighing whether to go with beer and wine or hard alcohol, Squires says the calories come out roughly the same. Plus, with beer servings generally running 12 ounces, you’re likely to feel like you’ve had more to enjoy.
